The Painted Flower
by CrypticMoonFang
Summary: My name is Violet Parr. I've been taken away from my family by the government. My powers are being studied and I don't why. I'm beginning to doubt these "tests". I'm getting weaker each day, and I don't think I'll last much longer. It's all I can do to hope Dash had remained hidden all this time...because they wanted him, too. -DISCONTINUED-
1. Chapter 1

~Chapter 1~

All I had left were memories... My family...my friends...my boyfriend. I remembered that Dash had escaped before they got him. My mother and father weren't needed. But I was. How long had I been in this godforsaken place again? It didn't follow the days or weeks timeline. No, it had to have been _months _since I'd last seen freedom. If only time travel was possible...

_"Dash! RUN!" I screamed as I held up my force field for as long as I could. I was weak and still growing weaker. Unless a miracle happened...there was no hope for me. But my little brother, he'd been able to run too fast for the darts to have hit him. He wasn't weak like me, he could still make it if he left me behind._

_"But, Violet-!" He stopped short, quickly ducking to avoid an oncoming dart. Another one came from behind, just barely passing over his shoulder. As more flew at him, he ran, darting from side to side, trying his level best to stay close to me._

_"I said go! NOW!" I shrieked as I felt my force field lose power. My hands and knees felt numb. As much as I wanted to fall down and end the chaos, I knew I had to convince Dash that I would be okay. ...Even though he already knew the answer. "Don't let them get you, go! Run away, Dash! Get as far away from here as possible!" I panted for a moment before continuing. "I'll be fine, don't worry..." _

_I began to feel faint, and a little dizzy. I knew my force field wouldn't hold up much longer, and sadly I didn't have the power to let this one down and put a bigger one around Dash. He knew that if I couldn't keep up the force field I had now, there was just no way I could be saved from the cruelties of the government. The secret, dark part of it that was attacking us. Mom and Dad were somewhere else, they'd taken them away from us. But it was Dash and me that they wanted.  
_

_I could still turn invisible, but it wouldn't do me much good... The dart was still stuck in my leg, and I was afraid that if I moved, my protection would come down, leaving me vulnerable to more darts. There was nothing I could do for myself. And Dash was just a little boy, he couldn't take on highly trained government agents. So the only thing I could do was get him to run as absolutely far away from them as possible. Only Syndrome had the technology to keep up with him, so escaping the "slow" vehicles of the agency would be a piece of cake. And he could run right now if he wanted to. I couldn't let him put himself in danger by sticking around trying to save me.  
_

_"Dash..." I murmured, "...go get...go get Mom and Dad..."  
_

_I felt my arms go limp and no sooner than they dropped to my sides, the only protection I had dissipated into thin air. I was vulnerable, but I wouldn't get hit with any more darts. I was too weak, already about to pass out. They knew it, too. I had no choice but to resign myself to the inevitable. I would be taken away. I didn't know how long they would keep me. I didn't know what they would do to me. I didn't know where they would take me. And...I didn't know what I'd done wrong.  
_

_I dropped to my knees, feeling the pressure of the ground underneath me. By now my vision was fading. I fought hard to stay awake but those darts contained some kind of drug inside them. Something that was making me tired and practically paralyzed. My own weight pulled the rest of my body to the ground. I was far too weak to get up, and I could only listen to Dash's final words to me before everything completely went blank...  
_

_"Violet! VIOLET!" Rapid footsteps were heard, becoming softer and quieter by the end of a split second. He had made it.  
_  
At least one of us was able to escape. Mom and Dad probably didn't know what happened. They just knew I was missing. I hoped Dash knew it was the government that had captured me, and not a new villain. If he knew who it was, he would've told our parents. Hopefully they were on their way right now, trying to rescue me from the evil that we assumed to be the good guys.

That's what I wanted to believe...but I'd been here for months on end, with no letup from the people who kept testing on me. Drawing blood, seeing what level of voltage my force fields could withstand, how much pressure I could be put under without being injured, how long I could stay invisible...and most importantly, how I could use my powers. I didn't know why they were doing this... Every day, sometimes all night, huge balls of lead were hurled at me, forcing me to put up a defensive barrier to stop it. They just got bigger and heavier. Sometimes multiple balls would come at me. Usually they were deflected, but other times, they broke straight through my force field and hit me.

They were heartless, ruthless. They didn't care if I got hurt, they only wanted to study me. I'd already undergone six biopsies in the course of a dreadful few months. I'd had my blood drawn countless times. They must've had at least eight whole gallons, maybe more, of my blood. Studying it, investigating my DNA, trying to find the source of my powers. And I didn't know why I was being put through all this.

I sighed as I felt a moment of peace. White and red walls surrounded me. I guess you could call the red on the walls painted, but if they were painted, then it was with my blood. Sometimes they would tire of me trying to dodge the lead balls instead of using my powers, so they shot out daggers. The blades were too short to be life threatening, but they still hurt like crazy. Sometimes I was stupid enough to try to dodge the daggers without putting up a force field. And what do you know, they hit me every time. And after the initial penetration of my skin, I got the pleasure of plucking them out, one by one. So yes, there was blood on the floors, walls, even the ceiling.

Brutal beasts. They didn't care about human life. They didn't care if I lived or died. It was all too easy to imagine them laughing every time I failed to protect myself. Every time they launched a missile at me, seeing if my force field could withstand it, I bet they laughed their cruel little heads off.

What did I do so wrong that I was to be treated this way? It was evil, no matter how you looked at it, no matter how you put it! And painful, might I add.

I'd tried to escape, but these walls were impenetrable. Even the missiles that bounced off my force fields couldn't break through the walls of this insane place. I could turn invisible if I wanted to, and I'd tried to, but somehow they made it so the gravity could increase in this room. The room that held me captive. That's right, I was a prisoner. A guinea pig, a lab rat, a test subject. I felt like an animal, living this way in constant fear of what they would do to me next. Sometimes they forgot to feed me! And it wasn't just me, there were others. Normal humans, incapable of any such superpowers as I had. But they got three square meals a day. I had a hunch that they were trying to weaken me by not feeding me as much.

_"I'm not hungry for meatloaf..." I mumbled as I poked at my dinner with a fork._

_My mom looked at me and smiled lopsidedly. "Well," she said, "It is leftover night. We got steak, pasta...what're you hungry for?"  
_

Well now I was hungry for anything. They were starving me and I swear, they knew it, _that_ was their intention. It had to be some kind of disgusting new way to test the limits of my powers. Weaken me, force me to defend myself even if I didn't have the energy, and possibly kill me.

My stomach growled angrily. I sighed in frustration. This place was nothing more than a torture pit! I was starting to wonder if dying would be so bad. I mean, nothing could _possibly_ be worse than this sick, twisted place. I was supposed to grow up under my parents' protection, I was destined to become a superhero one day! And now they'd captured me and stole away before anyone could stop them. Now I was under their control, they could turn me whichever way they wanted.

I heard the sound of the voice-activated door slide open with a metallic hiss. In came my most hated person, the only who ever came in for things that had no relation to any form of testing. He called it testing, he said he did it only to stretch my limits. Liar. He didn't want to stretch my limits at all. No, he was the most disgusting person to ever roam the Earth. He only had one thing on his mind. One sick, immoral thing. I hated him with a burning passion. But they always had me chained up like I was some kind of monster, an unknown specimen that had to be quarantined for the safety of others.

He drew nearer to me, and as he did, I refused to utter a single sound. I simply glared at him, wishing I had heat vision...wishing he would die right in front of me so I could laugh at his demise. He wouldn't be missed.

My chains tightened, pulling me against the wall. He smiled "kindly".

"Hi, sweetie. You hanging in there?" he asked.

I ground my teeth, almost biting my tongue in the process. I wouldn't talk to that...that..._thing_! He was the one who should be chained up like this, not me! He was the monster, not me! He was the one who deserved to be tortured and finally killed, _slowly and painfully_.

I couldn't move my hands and it really didn't matter. Even if I _was_ able to put up a force field, he would only have to fire one of the heaviest lead balls at me. My force field would break, I would pass out of the sudden break in power, and he would do what he always did anyway. It would do more harm than good to even _attempt_ to protect myself from this monster.

He came closer, until he was close enough to whisper in my ear, "I haven't seen you in awhile, I was just wondering how you were doing..."

I only wished he hadn't seen me in awhile. He "saw" me yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, and so on and so forth. It was the same routine every single night! To think they would allow him to remain a part of the agency was a mockery to all girls everywhere! He would be my downfall, I just knew it. He was simply waiting to get bored with me and move on to the next unlucky girl who came in here.

And worse...he was a high-ranking agent. Few would disobey him.

He gently brushed aside my hair, tucking it behind my ears. He pressed himself up against me, far too close for my comfort. I shivered in disgust as I felt a cold hand slither up my hospital shirt, slowly unhooking my bra and undoing the straps. It was pulled out from under my shirt. Then he reached around to my back and began unbuttoning my shirt. Soon it fell to the ground. Next was my pants. They were loose and had a stretchy waistband. They were basically just pajama pants and were easily pulled down. My panties weren't loose like the pants. They were much tighter around me, but still had a stretchy waistband. Needless to say, those were just as easily pulled down. He didn't have to take them off. It was enough just to simply have me exposed.

I closed my eyes and braced myself, already knowing how painful it was. Tears formed at the edges of my eyes, but I refused to cry. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing I was scared of him. I gritted my teeth even harder when I heard him unzip his pants.

"Poor thing," he whispered. "You're trembling."

I didn't realize I was trembling until he'd pointed it out.

"You look like you've had such a rough day..." I tried not to listen to him, but I caught little bits and pieces of his quick speech. Something about feeling obliged to lighten the mood. Something about helping me out. Something else about comforting me.

He gripped my shoulders forcefully. Soon after I felt an agonizing pain in between my legs. My body disobeyed my demands not to make a sound. Tears flowed out and a strangled, high-pitched whine slipped from my throat. What did I do wrong? Why was he doing this to me?

After half an hour, he got tired and I felt him pull out. I kept my eyes shut tight, and I felt something warm oozing out of me. Whether it was blood or his seed, I didn't know. And I wasn't willing to find out.

I heard him pant for a minute before dressing me, making it look like nothing had happened. My chains went slack, and it felt good, as though an enormous burden had been lifted from my body. Sometimes I wondered what Tony would think if he found out about this, about what had been happening to me every night since I got here. Now wasn't one of those times.

He left, and I relaxed. He never came back in the same night. I curled up on the floor. My pillow and blanket were out of my reach. But I was too exhausted, both emotionally and physically, to care where I slept. I just wanted to sleep. At least in my dreams I could be free again...no chains, no rape, no blood, no torture. I regretted taking my old life for granted. If I lived to ever see freedom once more, I would _not_ take it for granted. I would treat it as a blessing, as the best day of my life.

For once I missed Dash. Just to see his face one more time...that was all I wanted. I just wanted to know that he was safe, and still being taken care of by Mom and Dad, with Jack-Jack to keep him company. At least he'd outrun the agency though, as far as I knew, they hadn't captured him. At least he wasn't being put through what I was being put through.

"Please...let me go..." I murmured to the room. The room stayed quiet. The only sound was the sound of my breathing. Nobody else was there. Nobody was coming to help me. Everything seemed to have forgotten about me.

I sighed one last time before drifting off.

**A/N**

**I'll update this story if I can get five (5) reviews. More than that would be great, but I don't want to push it. I really hope you all liked the first chapter. I want to see how good you think it is, so on a scale of 1-10, 1 being terrible and 10 being awesome, how would you rate the story?  
**

**Also, if you have an idea, I would love to hear it. Even if you don't think it's good, lots of other people might, and I would be more than happy to hear it out. :) Maybe it'll appear in the story.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

~Chapter 2~

I woke up early the next morning, despite how tired I was. After my first week of being here, my body learned to set an internal alarm clock. Now I woke up before anyone else did, including the "researchers". That is, if I actually went to sleep. Again, they sometimes shot those lead balls at me all through the night, taking shifts.

I got up and stretched, my shackles putting what felt like a ton of weight on my wrists and ankles. There was even one around my neck, like a collar. And honestly, it didn't come as a surprise. A dog was pretty much what I was at this point. Well no, actually, I was probably lower than a dog at this point. Dogs were loyal. I remembered my first day here. I'd cooperated, letting them put these chains on me, letting them use me however they wanted. I'd hoped that once they had what they wanted, I could leave, so I didn't give them any trouble. Everything changed when nighttime fell. That night was the night when my innocence was stolen from me. Ever since that night, I've refused to be a "good dog". I wasn't loyal to the monsters that dared to call themselves human. And I never would be.

I walked to the limits of my chains and tugged on them. I already knew they wouldn't break. And my force field didn't help me, it just wrapped around the chains. I still had density and form when I was invisible, making me unable to phase through the shackles. Tugging on the chains gave me something to do though. It wasn't like I had anything that could even _potentially_ give me some entertainment. I had to be resourceful, use what I had. And sadly all I had were metal links connecting me to the back of the room. I could go all the way to the center of the room, but that was it, that my boundary.

At home, I didn't have to live like this. I had to give it my all just to see another day here, but at home, I had a nice soft bed I could sleep on, a loving family, meals to eat, and most importantly...no chains. I could run outside and ride a bike at home. Ever since I came here, I hadn't seen the outside, or even felt a breeze. Why couldn't they allow me even a little freedom? They could watch me all day, every day if they wanted to. I would be cooperative if they stopped treating me like a rabid animal.

I sat down only to realize the ache between my legs. I'd grown accustomed to it over time, but I could never afford to worry about it. All I could do was ignore it. Telling someone wouldn't do me any good. In fact, I never spoke to anyone around here anymore. I hadn't since my first rape. I was scared, to be truthful. I afraid that I might say the wrong thing and tick them off. And since they could all too easily kill me, I didn't want to take my chances.

I put a hand over my stomach. I was so hungry, I would eat grass right now if they let me. Forget about grass, I'd go for poison ivy right about now! But that was never going to happen... I was so tired of worrying if I would get another meal. And I was tired of being the pawn in their twisted game.

I sound jolted my from my thoughts. My eyes flickered over to the door. Except...there was no door to look at. It was a huge, gaping hole in the wall. The door itself had been shattered, bits and pieces of it scattered around the hole. I heard intense coughing, a deep-throated cough. Whoever did this was a man. As the dust began to clear up, a silhouette appeared. It was still too dark to make out who it was, but it was definitely a man, and whoever he was, he was big. Part of me hoped he was here to save me from this torture chamber.

I stood up, just in case it was another test. For all I knew, it could be a bazooka, or a sub-machine gun. Maybe they'd invented a portable ball launcher.

The man finally revealed himself and on reflex, I put up a force field. But..it wasn't needed. This man wasn't here to hurt me. This man was my _dad_! I smiled for the first time since I got here and something warm rose up inside me. As Dad rushed over to me, lingering just out of my reach, he was joined by Mom and Dash.

Dash... He was with Mom and Dad. He was safe! I felt tears of pure joy well up, and this time I wasn't afraid to let them out.

I was so happy I was getting choked up. Heck, I didn't even know what to say! I couldn't believe my own eyes, but they were here! They were here for me! All this time, they'd been looking for me, I just knew it. And now that they'd found me, they would get me out and take me home. I would be in my warm bed and I would get to eat _real_ food. I would get to have human interaction, not just voices behind the plexiglass.

Dash sped over to me, smiling a huge smile that covered the entire lower half of his face. Mom and Dad were right behind him. I rushed to the center of the room and tried to give Mom a hug, only to be stopped short by the chains. I frowned. I was still excited to finally be rid of this place, and to be taken far away from all the blood that had been shed here. But these stupid chains always held me back, no matter what I did. I couldn't even give my own mother a hug!

"Honey, are you okay?" Mom asked me in that sweet, kind voice I'd been longing to hear.

I nodded. "Yeah, I think. I can't get out of these chains though."

My dad put a hand on Mom's shoulder and replied, "You should stay here."

My jaw dropped. I swore I felt something inside me break. "Wh...What?"

Dash got his turn at speaking. "Yeah, Violet. You should stay and let them see how your powers work."

My eyes narrowed. There was no way this was my family. They wouldn't say anything like this. After what Dash had seen me go through, after he himself had come so close to being captured, there was just no way he would say something like that. And my real family wouldn't ignore the blood splattered everywhere, the leaden balls on the floor, my chains, the absence of a bed or any form of nutrition. They wouldn't be so uncaring as these people were.

I backed away from them, until I was pressed up against the wall. I caught a motion in my peripheral vision and turned to see what it was. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who had woken up early. These "people" were nothing but holograms. _Holograms_! And come to think of it, they sounded different. I should've known... I should've expected this from them! They were the very definition of evil!

I wanted to scream my lungs out at the person behind the window. I wanted to make them pay dearly for all the crap I'd put up with, all the pure torment I had to endure on a daily basis! They deserved to die! They deserved the most painful, slow, horrible death in the existence of the space/time continuum!

But I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't choked up anymore. Devastated, yes, choked up, absolutely not. I'd already been put through enough. Syndrome's death of being chopped up and shredded by a jet turbine was heavenly compared to this. But if they had the dark heart to use my family against me, then there was no doubt in my mind that they could come up with something even more torturous. They kept me alive to hurt me, that's what they did. That was their entertainment. No, _I _was their entertainment. Me, and all the cuts and scars on my body. They enjoyed this, I just knew it. Why else would they send in holograms of my family, trick me into thinking they were real and that I would be saved after all, and then make the holograms say I belonged to the government. I didn't _belong_ to anybody. Especially not them!

But I didn't utter a single word. I didn't even have the courage to glare at them for all they'd done to me. All it would take was one wrong move, one tiny mistake, and they could send out butcher knives instead of daggers. I didn't want to lay on a bloody floor gasping for breath, bleeding to death.

All I could do was turn around to face the wall, my chains twisting around me. All I could do was cry silent tears. All I could do was try to hide my secret struggles. My fears, my pain, my thoughts... It all had to be kept hidden from those disgusting monsters. They were unreasonable, and probably burnt out on dealing with me...even though _I_ was the one putting up with daggers, lead balls, rape, and all kinds of other torments.

The holograms were turned off. They knew I'd figured it out.

I looked down. My vision blurred as I tried to see past the tears, but I knew there were small, salty puddles resting at my feet. And I knew they would only grow larger and larger. Sometimes I wondered if it was possible to cry so much you could flood a place. I was starting to think it was possible.

I couldn't keep this up much longer...but I didn't have a choice. I was doomed to be a lab rat for the rest of my life. And from the way things looked right now, the rest of my life wasn't that far away. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I died tomorrow.

I clenched the part of my shirt that covered my stomach, feeling a sudden ache there. I hadn't eaten in how long now? Why couldn't they see how skinny I was getting? Granted, I was always skinny, but that was just from my high metabolism. Now my stomach was hurting. I bet it was digesting itself, hungry for anything and everything. I was starving to death! Didn't they notice how my stomach was actually _swelling_ from malnourishment? Not to mention my weight! How could they expect me to keep up with their so called "tests" if I hardly had the energy to run? It was like trying to test how fast a car could go when it didn't have any gasoline in it. It was pointless.

But they didn't care.

**A/N**

**Probably not my best chapter, but some of you have reviewed telling me that in the last chapter, I basically should have made Violet more emotionally upset. And it's true, so I'm sorry. I hope this chapter makes up for the last one.**

**Your reviews REALLY touched my heart, and I can't thank you enough! I thought for sure this was going to be one of those stories that I thought was going to be good, but then only got like ten readers and one or two reviews. So thank you SO much for reviewing, it gave me the motivation to complete this chapter so soon.**

**I want to push my limits (just for the heck of it I guess) and ask for eighteen (18) reviews.**

**Also, I think you guys deserve replies to your reviews, so here goes:**

**_mrgirmjaw_- :) Thank you and I'm so glad to know you liked it.**

**_Guest_- Thank you!**

**_Unholy Justice_- :( Oh, sorry. I tried to make this story unique but I guess it's not. I hope you'll continue reading it though. Because I'm going to make this unique one way or another!**

**_Andy Nonomous_- Hm...that actually gives me an idea for the next chapter. :D Thank you so much! And I don't want to beg for people to read my stories, I would much rather give them the free choice. You know, like them coming across it and going, "Huh, sounds interesting."**

**_Katie_- Oh, wow thanks! ^.^ And I'm SOOOO happy I kept her in character. I kept wondering if I made her a little OOC-ish. **

**_PlasticPencils_- Really? That's awesome! And yeah...sorry about that. I'll be working on packing this story with about as much emotion as you can possibly get in a story from now on, because I believe you're right, a story without emotion isn't a story at all.**

**_Samtastic_- Ah-ah-ah! No spoilers, mister! ;D And keep in mind that there are different agencies within the government. And I don't think I need any help, I like to work solo, make my stories a part of me. Most of the time I'll put a little piece of my past into my stories. Also, Violet's not older, she's the same age as in the movie, which makes all this harder on her. **

**_Supreme23614_- Wow, I guess that makes me special, huh? lol **

**_a person_- Thank you. :)**

**_Hazel Blue Mystery_- :D Thank you TONS!  
**

**_Fave of Violet_- Thanks, and don't worry, I won't. ;)  
**

**Okay, so I really hope you all liked this chapter. And thanks to Andy Nonomous, I have an idea for the next chapter. I've actually had this idea and was going to put it in this chapter, but I didn't want to make this one too long. Andy's idea was just water on the seed, so now I know for a fact that I'll be putting it in the next chapter (part of me was wondering whether I should put it in at all).**


	3. Chapter 3

~Chapter 3~

It had been at least two hours since the person left the room. There were no holograms. They'd tried three different simulations, though, and each time I fell for it, clinging to a strand of hope that it might be real. And it wasn't. First they'd made me think that I was being allowed to go outside. My chains were off, I could feel a breeze, and there was grass under my feet. It didn't last, and the second one came up. I was being taken to my house, where Mom, Dad, Dash, and even little Jack-Jack were waiting for me. I was welcomed inside and for once it was peaceful. But that also didn't last. The third one came up. I was in my school. The bell rang, signaling lunch. Tony came into my view, and I ran up to him.

But none of it was real. It was all just a trick, a lie, a fake. But at least this time I would be ready for any new simulations, no matter how long they lasted, no matter how real it seemed to be. I wouldn't be fooled anymore.

A sudden pain in my lower stomach penetrated my thoughts. I held my hand there, trying to keep it warm or...or something. I'd felt worse pains before, though, so I didn't think it was much to worry about. And given my infrequent meals, it wasn't exactly shocking to feel something inside me hurting. There was no one here, and it wasn't like I could ask for a painkiller or something. Besides, I hadn't had my period for some time now. It was probably a natural thing.

But as another hour passed, the pain only worsened. It was something I could no longer ignore. I hoped they didn't come in yet. I didn't want to be tested on right now, not when I was in great pain. I laid down on the floor. It was cold and sent shivers up my spine. I figured laying down might help, even if it was just a little bit. I stretched out one hand across the floor, intentionally trying to make my hand lose heat and become as cold as the floor itself. After a few minutes, it worked, and I placed my cold hand over my lower stomach. It felt icy, like a miniature blizzard trying to freeze my insides. It still didn't help. Laying on my back, keeping it warm, trying to cool it down...nothing worked!

Within half an hour, the pain turned to agony and it was so bad, I could hardly even move. I kept my eyes shut tightly, trying to use my thoughts as a distraction. It wasn't working, but for some reason I kept trying. I repeatedly told myself that nothing would last forever. It couldn't last forever, this pain was so severe that I could've sworn I was dying.

I forced myself to roll onto my side and curl up. I kept trying to keep my lower stomach warm, desperate to ease the pain. I kept my eyes shut, didn't make a sound, and tried to keep my breathing even. I _had_ to get rid of this thing before anyone arrived. There was no way I could defend myself if I couldn't move. It was crippling, this pain... Worst I'd ever felt in my life.

I tried to think about Mom and Dad, about Dash, about Tony and my friends...but I couldn't. I couldn't focus on any one thing with my lower abdomen hurting so bad. I didn't even feel the steady stream of tears running down my face.

Maybe...maybe if they found me this way, they could bring a doctor or something to help me. ...Pfft. I wish. Normally I'd laugh bitterly at that, but I _literally_ couldn't move! I couldn't talk, open my eyes, I couldn't do anything! It was unbearable, I'd never felt anything like this before!

As minutes turned to hours, I found myself sweating and uncomfortable. My body kept demanding movement of some sort, it kept ordering me to shift into a more comfortable position. But _what_ position? My back, my sides, stretched out, curled up, there was nothing left! Well, no...there was laying on my belly, but...I doubted that would help at all. Still, compulsion arose and I unwillingly rolled onto my stomach. I felt something wet in between my legs. It didn't take me long to realize it was blood. Blood...meaning it really was nothing to worry about, it really was only a menstrual cycle.

But it sure as heck didn't feel like one...

As if on instinct, I got up off my belly and lifted myself onto all fours, rocking back and forth, trying to get in a less painful position. I couldn't keep myself from crawling around. A few times, I'd dropped my head and arms to the floor. My breathing became uneven and I didn't try to correct it. I was still sweating and though it all seemed hopeless, I was still trying to get comfortable. I didn't understand how I could be so restless at a time like this. How was that even possible when I couldn't so much as _move_ before?

I drew in a sharp breath when I felt something happening inside me. I didn't know what it was exactly, but I didn't really want to find out. My muscles tensed around my waist and my hips became stiff as a result. I didn't move. Something inside me told me to stay completely still. I listened and stopped moving around. I waited, my teeth grinding and my head down.

A minute or two passed and suddenly I could move again. My muscles relaxed and I felt slightly better. Although now, I felt a pressure down there. It was slight, but I could feel it nonetheless. It didn't bother me as much as the pain did, and I wanted to focus on getting rid of the pain, not the pressure.

After another hour or so, another muscle cramp came and I held my breath, staying completely still, waiting for it to go away. My jaw clenched and I grunted as I tried to turn my head around. Something had to be going on down there to make me feel this way, and now it was time I knew what it was. My body wouldn't move though. It didn't allow me to turn my head.

After a minute, it finally passed and I could look. But there was nothing to look at, I couldn't see anything unusual. There was heavy bleeding, but that was it. I panted for a bit, wondering what on _Earth_ could be happening. The pressure was still there. It faded, but it never actually went away. I didn't know what it was. Why did the whole world suddenly hate me? What did I do? This was some kind of punishment, it had to be. Was this about fighting with Dash a lot? I could change that, I really could! I would never fight with him again if it meant my freedom!

I clenched my fists as another wave of what I assumed to be a muscle spasm hit me, feeling my fingernails digging into my skin.

It kept going on like this for a long time. I hadn't gotten off the ground in that whole time. I still didn't know what to make of all this, of whatever was happening to me. Was this some kind of simulation? Did they inject me with something when I was asleep? I just...I didn't know what was going on anymore.

Finally, another agonizing cramp came. It would be any moment now, they'd come in at any minute, I just knew it! they would find me this way, unable to put up any form of protection. They would kill me! Kill me and then crack up like it was the funniest thing in the world. Well it wasn't. Not to me at least.

That pressure that hadn't bothered me so much before now seemed to become my prime focus. It was moving inside me, I could feel it. I was sure this pressure was something my body was trying to expel. What if it was a tumor? Whatever the case, it planned on coming out. I instinctively kicked off my pants and underwear. They were bloody enough already, so I didn't have to worry about getting them dirty.

The lights came on. I dropped to my elbows and let my head hang down. I'd probably spent half the night in pain and agony, and now it was finally going to end. I went through all that work to find out that I would die because of some stupid thing inside my body. And the worst part about it was, I didn't even know what it was!

I heard the door open, but didn't bother looking to see who it was. If it was _him_ then something told me he wasn't going to be "in the mood" once he saw blood everywhere. But I was relieved to hear a girl's voice. I was too busy trying to cope with the pain to catch what she was saying, but I knew it involved me. I highly doubted she was here to help me or even see what was wrong. All they cared about was their "data".

I heard footsteps coming over to me. The woman was running to me. Why, I had no idea, but I didn't trust her. I didn't trust anyone here. Thankfully there was no cramp to hold me back, and I moved away from her. I heard her move towards me again, this time much more slowly. Opening my eyes for the first time in awhile, I looked to see how close she was. She was too close for comfort. I moved away again.

"No, no, I'm here to help," she said.

I recognized her voice. She was one of the researchers here, one of the ones who came in and shot those lead balls at me. Although she didn't come any closer, I moved further away, wanting to make sure she knew I didn't trust her. And I wanted to make sure she knew I could tell a lie when I heard one.

"It's okay," she cooed as she crept a little closer. "I just want to help."

I moved away. We continually danced in circles, me keeping the same distance between us and not allowing her an inch nearer to me. If she was really here to help, then she wouldn't be following me around, making me shuffle around her while I was in so much pain. She was inhuman, she had no heart. She helped them shoot tiny knives at me! And then she expected me to _trust_ her? The woman was insane, I bet she didn't even know what she was doing. It was obvious that I was in severe pain, and she seemed to ignore that critical fact. I didn't want her near me, what part of that didn't she understand?

I was forced to halt, still on all fours, as yet another cramp hit. I closed my eyes, but still heard her come closer, until she was so close she was invading what was left of my personal bubble, which was very little considering how many times I'd been raped. And this time I couldn't move away, having been paralyzed by a body that refused to so much as twitch.

She put her hand on my shoulder. I wanted to put up a force field and protect myself from her, but I was in too much pain. If they wanted to get so close to me, maybe they shouldn't have used me in the way they did. All I could do right now was wait and wonder what would happen to me.

"Try to relax, I'm not going to hurt you," she said.

Not hurt me? NOT HURT ME? Hadn't they already shot lead balls at me? And hadn't _she_ helped them? Hadn't they electrocuted me? And hadn't _she_ helped them? Hadn't they shot daggers at me? And hadn't _she_ helped them? For all I knew, she could've been the mastermind behind all of this! Every day I was stuck hoping I'd live just long enough to get out of here, and now..._now_ she had the guts to say she wouldn't hurt me?

She stood up, thankfully taking her hand with her, and turned around, pulling out what looked like a walkie talkie. She was busily speaking into its microphone. Another voice came out of its speaker. I paid zero attention to the conversation. I wasn't eager to find out what horrible things were in store for me.

She began to move away from me, and as she did, I felt something come out of me. My pain ended right at that moment. Well, either the pain had ended, or the shock overwhelmed it. I took a quick glance at the woman to see if she noticed. She didn't and kept up a conversation over the little radio. I was afraid to look at whatever had just come out of me. I knew I had to, but I was scared to find out what it was that had caused me this much pain, and drained my energy.

I gulped, my chest still heaving from all the effort it took to get rid of this thing.

I turned around, suddenly able to move again. I was dumbstruck immediately. A pinkish lump that looked kind of like a big bean had been spit out from between my legs. A cord still connected it to me, like how my chains connected me to the back wall. It just laid there in smeared blood, from where I'd been moving around so much. What I'd been feeling wasn't a series of cramps or menstrual pains. They were contractions. I...I'd just had a baby. A baby. And it was motionless. Lifeless. It wasn't squirming around like the newborns I'd seen on television shows. It should've been crying, screaming even, but it wasn't. It only meant one thing. I'd miscarried.

I got on my knees and picked up the dead baby. This wasn't right. I couldn't have been pregnant this whole time and not have known it. The only real sign I'd shown was my stomach swelling. I thought it had been from starvation, but no, it was a baby.

I poked its small belly gently, trying to get it to wake up. I wanted to believe it was still alive, that somehow I was doing something wrong. I already knew it was dead but I didn't want it to be dead... I tried to cradle it in my arms. It was too small and I had to hold it in my hands. I shook my head in disbelief. This was my fault, I did this. I didn't know what I did wrong but apparently I messed up somewhere along the way.

I hesitated, but eventually set it back on the floor. I knew I was too young to have a kid, but I didn't mean for any of this to happen! If it was alive and no one else wanted it, I would've taken care of it.

I was still too stunned to cry. I wanted to cry though. It was the very least I could do after having killed an innocent baby.

The woman finished up her conversation right then and there, and turned around to see me and a dead baby. Her jaw dropped and she sat there for a moment wide-eyed. It was as if she was trying to process what she was seeing. It was short-lived though. She soon looked at me. Her expression told me she was disgusted with me.

I wanted to tell her I was sorry, but somehow I couldn't speak.

From out of nowhere, a dart struck me in the shoulder. I was already weak from labor, so I collapsed the moment it made contact with my skin. In the few seconds I was allowed to stay awake, I heard the woman grumble, "Perfect, _I'm_ the one who gets to deal with a horny teenager..."

Everything went blank.

**A/N**

**:/ Yeah...this was the idea I wondered about putting in. Also, Samtastic told me Violet was thirteen in the movie. I thought she was fifteen, so in this story, I'm going to make her fifteen.**

**Andy's idea about Violet's descendants pushed me to put this in. Plus, I wanted to show you how the researchers think of her. Note that the woman never asked her what happened or if she was okay, and at the end she assumed Violet was "a horny teenager". So there's a little insight as to what attitude they take with her.**

**And to tell you, just in case, this is NOT a Synlet story. Syndrome is dead, okay? That's how it's meant to be, that why he was killed in the movie. Violet's boyfriend is Tony, again because that's how the creators of Incredibles made it. And I agree with Tony/Violet, not Synlet. Sylet is kind of...creepy. To me, that is.**

**I'm so glad I keep getting so many reviews! :D I really didn't think this story would be that popular. But I'm in a review war with another author right now, so I need as many reviews as I can possibly get. So if you read this story, PLEASE review!**

**I guess I'll just create a review quota like in one of my previous stories. Reviews keep me motivated, and I like updating in return for all your support. Your reviews really mean a lot to me, so I can't thank you enough. :)**

**This time I'll ask for...um...thirty-one (31) reviews.**

**And as I will continue doing for the rest of this story, I give you...your review replies (note that they will ALWAYS come in the order of first to last):**

**_mrgirmjaw_- Thanks, I'm glad you like it so much. :)**

**_Samtastic_- I thought she was fifteen, so...I'm making her fifteen in the story. :/ I swear, I didn't know she was thirteen. And I've written a different story that also had a rapist in it, and I made him die in the epilogue. Wow, I'm glad I could help you out. :) And good luck on your story.**

**_Fave of Violet_- o.o Woah.**

**_PlasticPencils_- I agree, and thankfully I can make anything happen in this story. ;) I won't give away spoilers, but I promise to make him pay.**

**_a person_- You're Kris aren't you? -_- You know, you could just use your pen name, or better yet, log in. I'll make him pay, don't worry. Also, how do you like FWG so far? :) I think it's coming together pretty well, what with the stress Sam has with her parents and all.**

**_Supreme23614_- Awesome, that's what I was aiming for. And yes, BUT! I have a reason for putting in holograms. You'll see near the end of the story (yeah, ironically I have the ending planned out and no idea what to do with the next chapter).**

**_Hazel Blue Mystery_- I know, I know, but I've got a reason for putting them in there.**

**_HandmadeVeggies_- Even though I'm the one who wrote this story, I agree with you.**

**_Animalistic Ballistic_- I've got a reason, you'll see later on. This will all add up, just wait.**

**_totallydramatic_- Thank you. :)**

**_Andy Nonomous_- Thanks, I was so shocked to get so many reviews! Well, by "descendents", I thought of a baby (naturally), but since Violet wasn't being treated right and they were putting too much strain on her, the baby died and she had a miscarriage as a result. She blames herself because...well, it was _her_ baby. And evil is the lowest term in English for them, but yeah, I agree. And remember that no one knows about the one man coming in at night to do that. Which is why, even if she told them, they wouldn't believe her since he's high ranking (meaning he's basically allowed to do whatever he wants).  
**

**_CoolAsIceCanBe_- Agreed and agreed. He'll get his, don't you worry.  
**

**_busylizzie_- Look, if you don't like the story, then don't keep reading it, and don't post insults. Criticism is one thing, insulting a story that over 70 people like (yes, I keep track of my number of hits) is another thing. I only have one question for you: why did you keep reading it if you didn't like it?  
**

**To anyone who didn't catch this: I've got a reason as to why I put the holograms (and in this chapter, simulations) into the storyline. It'll make sense why I did this near the end of the story. Basically, everything you see here will add up and you'll understand why I needed to put these things in here.**

**My apologies if this chapter is a little too dark for some of you.**

**And if you would take just a second to read this: I've just uploaded a youtube video called "Incredibles-24" that centers around Violet. If you can't find it on the search list, go to my account (Lila Shera) and look for it on my uploads list. I'm really excited about this video and although I've made hundreds of videos (my old account was shut down and I don't have the files anymore, so I can't re-upload them), I've never done an Incredibles video before. Please check it out if you can, I worked hard on it. :) Thanks for your time.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

~Chapter 4~

I finally woke up, having no idea how long I'd been asleep. At first I was groggy, but soon snapped completely awake. My chains were tight and I was pressed against the wall. I couldn't move my neck, so I looked around frantically with my eyes. There was still blood smeared onto the floor, the shapes of hand prints noticeable. The blood had gone from fresh red to hardened black. But that was all that was there. The baby was gone. If I could move my head, I would let it hang down. There were simply no words to describe how utterly disappointed I was with myself. And even there was a word, I wouldn't say it anyway. I was a failure. I didn't have the courage to talk to anyone anymore, I'd fallen for lies this whole time, and I'd failed as a mother. No, not a mother, I was a _murderer_! What did that poor little baby do to deserve death? It was completely innocent, the most innocent of all humanity, in fact, and I'd _killed_ it!

I noticed the lights were on. I looked in the window, hoping that inside there, my baby was alive. Just because they didn't care about me didn't necessarily mean they didn't care about a newborn. Hopefully they'd saved it somehow. Maybe...maybe it was still living.

I squinted, trying to peer behind the plexiglass. There were definitely people behind there... My eyes widened as I saw my family. They were talking calmly to the researchers. I slowed my breathing and tried to listen in. Thankfully I didn't have to. One of the researchers accidentally pressed a button when he was leaning over and the speakers turned on, letting me hear everything they said.

"Oh, no, Mr. and Mrs. Parr, I assure you, your daughter is perfectly fine. Have a look," one of the researchers said.

He pressed a button and my chains were released. My shackles fell off. The weight that I'd grown used to feeling on my arms, legs, and neck was gone. It slid away with the chains. I smiled. I couldn't believe it...my parents had talked them into letting me go!

The researcher turned towards me and ask me to make a small force field. I didn't know what was going on, but I didn't think I had the strength to do that. After last night, or this morning, whichever, I was drained of just about all energy. But...if it got me out of here...I guess I could try... I summoned all the energy I had left and produced a very small force field. I couldn't make it very big, and I worked hard just to sustain this one for a few seconds. It dissipated and I bent over, panting.

My parents watched me closely.

"She looks really tired..." my mother said. "I think she should come home for awhile."

Yes, yes! I wanted to go home, I wanted to get out of here!

The researcher shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't let her go just yet. We still need to find out more about her powers. This information could save the innocent lives of millions."

I looked at Mom, silently pleading with her not to fall for his tricks. She frowned, but said, "Well...okay. As long as you promise to keep her comfortable. But bring her home as _soon_ as you're through with your research."

The researcher smiled and nodded. "Absolutely, Mrs. Parr."

Suddenly I was back in chains, pressed against the wall again. My parents vanished in the blink of an eye and the precious energy I'd spent making that force field was restored. I fell for it again. Those people were so full of hatred and raw evil that it was overwhelming. _Another_ simulation... Why did I keep believing it was all real? Yeah, it felt as real as real could be, but... I couldn't take another minute in this sick place. I was human too, they needed to treat me like one.

I closed my eyes and sighed. One of these days they would go too far. When that day came, I would either die or become so enraged that I would go on a rampage, leaving _them_ to wind up dead. Well, not really. With these chains, damage-proof walls, and 24/7 surveillance, there was no way I would be able to do anything or go anywhere. Let alone go on a rampage...

"Alright." I heard a researcher's voice talk to me over the microphone. "It's time to talk."

I opened my eyes to look through the glass. It was slightly tinted, but I could still see clearly through it. I didn't know what they were talking about, and the voice I'd heard was too quick and drab to tell whether they were a man or a woman. What did they want me to do now? They said it was time to talk, but it would be nice if they could specify.

The voice cleared its throat and asked, "Who did you sleep with?" It was a man's voice.

Sleep with...? I knew he was asking because of the baby, but I wasn't sure if rape could be classified as sleeping with someone. If it could, then I certainly didn't _want _to sleep with him. And I really didn't have a choice anyway. If I told him I'd been raped by someone higher up in rank than he was, would he really believe me? Somehow I doubted it. He would think I was lying, he would think I was trying to avoid the question. Chances were, he would check the security cameras. And what do you know, he would find no evidence. "My" man always turned the cameras off before coming into the room. Therefore, I had no proof to back me up. I'd already lost everything to this place, what more could they take from me? My life? Let them, see if I cared. If my family hadn't already given up searching for me, then they would never find me. All my future held was more suffering. They would be doing me a favor by ending it.

But the worst part about this place wasn't any "testing". It was the fact that I couldn't afford to mourn over something, such as the loss of my own baby. I couldn't think about things, I was always too tired. I hardly had the time to worry about something, let alone fret over it. I had always been level-headed, but this was just crazy. I couldn't use my brain, the only thing I could do was rely on reflexes to shield myself from anything and everything they threw at me, be it mental or physical. To be perfectly honest, I liked the knives more than the lies.

"I said _talk_," he repeated.

What for? There was nothing else they could do to me. I had lost _everything_. I hadn't spoken to anyone since my first rape, and it would stay that way. I wouldn't give them any information, even if it was unimportant. They didn't deserve it! They didn't deserve my cooperation, my voice, or anything else. I could easily tell them the truth but it wasn't like they would believe me. And even if they did, they wouldn't care. They were nothing more than cold-blooded brutes, the so-called "humans" at the lowest of levels. Serial killers, terrorists, and suicide bombers were better than these "people". I had every right to hate them.

"Who did you sleep with, who was the father of that child?" he continued.

I simply let him yammer on, furious with me for not answering. I didn't care what he said. I was no longer afraid to die. There was nothing left for them to do to me. They had nothing left to threaten me with, nothing to make me say a single word. And bribery wouldn't work. They could let me out of these chains, let me out of the facility itself! But I still wouldn't talk. A bribe from them was just another trick. They would never let me go. I understood that now, after all those simulations of me being free.

I wasn't really listening to him until they brought in a chair. Tied to the chair with chains similar to mine was a little boy with blonde hair and familiar eyes. My eyes widened. They got Dash.

A tile of the floor lifted to reveal a contraption that looked exactly like a big, powerful gun. Its nozzle was pointed toward Dash's head, and it was perfect height with his temple. They were going to kill my little brother.

I glared at the person behind the plexiglass. I'd underestimated them. Just when I thought nothing could be used against me, they had found and captured Dash. I wanted him to run away and stay hidden. I'd shown them just how important he was to me. I never thought that would be my biggest mistake. I never thought that would put his life in danger.

My chains slackened, and I could finally move around. "Now...talk," the man said. His voice was calm. He knew he had me cornered. He knew he'd left me with two choices, to talk and let my brother live, or to stay quiet and let my brother die. If I told him the truth, he wouldn't believe me and he would kill Dash. If I stayed quiet, he would get angry and kill Dash. It was a lose-lose situation...

Talking was the only chance I had. "I don't know his name."

"Violet, what's going on?" Dash whimpered.

I could only look at him and smile, trying to assure him that everything was fine. But we both knew what was going to happen. At least Dash would see a smile before he died...even if it was a fake one.

The speakers stayed quiet for a minute. The man behind the window seemed to be mulling everything over, wondering whether I was telling the truth or not. I took the opportunity to run to Dash, but once more, the chains held me back. The chain around my neck caught and I gagged before taking a step back. The limit of my chains wasn't enough for me to be able to reach dash. I could create a force field around him to protect him from the gun, but what good would that do? I was tired, far too drained to make the force field last long. At most, I could probably make it last only thirty seconds. It was nowhere near enough time for Dash to figure out a way to escape.

"Alright," the voice said. "I've decided that it's understandable if you don't know his name. What does he look like?"

I didn't hesitate to answer. I'd seen him so many times I'd caught every little detail. "He's tall, he's got short brown hair, and brown eyes."

He turned away from the glass to check something on his computer. It didn't take him long to reply, "There's a lot of people like that." He turned his attention back to me. "Why did you sleep with him?"

I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to be raped, I didn't ask to be raped. I still couldn't figure out if that even qualified as sleeping with someone. I didn't know why it happened, or what I did to deserve it. All I knew was that it hurt, and I would rather die than go through it again. Despite the little knowledge I had, I couldn't stand there and say I didn't know. It was hard, being raped. It was harder to think about it. It was even harder to talk about it. I already had tears forming at the edges of my eyes. They were heavy, right about to trickle down my face. I couldn't say it wasn't my fault, they would never believe that. But how could I come up with something they _would_ believe before they killed my brother? The clock was already ticking for Dash, I had to answer soon or else he was done for. But _what_ answer?

"I'm waiting..." the man said.

I had to answer, and I had to answer _now_. "I...I didn't want to."

"What do you mean 'you didn't want to'?" he asked.

I heard the gun click as it was getting ready to fire. I tried to tell him, I really did, but the words...they just wouldn't come out. Even as my little brother's life was at stake, I couldn't say the one thing that had a chance at saving his life. The tears were really coming now. They were cascading down my face, fueled by every emotion in the book. And I didn't mean the good ones.

I _forced_ myself to say it. "I was-"

_Bang_.

Blood splattered on me. My mouth dropped and my eyes widened. I shook my head. It had to be a hologram, or another simulation...or something... It couldn't be real. Dash wasn't sitting lifelessly in the chair. He hadn't really died. There wasn't blood everywhere. I wasn't mouthing the word "no" right now. I wasn't crying my heart out for him. I wasn't trying to believe it was another trick.

The gunshot resounded throughout the room, and the horrible smell of gunpowder wafted around me. Just when I thought I had nothing left to lose...I'd lost the most important thing. I underestimated them. If this was what I was going through, I couldn't imagine what Dash had undergone. I didn't think they could go any lower...but I was proven horribly wrong.

Another man came in and took my little brother away. I would never see Dash again.

**A/N**

**You might be wondering how this is building up to the climax of the story. Well, it is, and I've got a plan for this story. This chapter actually has a _lot_ to do with the story, and you'll see how later on.**

**Can I just say OH MY GOSH! 42 REVIEWS? OH THANK YOU GUYS SO SO SO MUCH! :'D You don't know how much this means to me...**

**I guess this time I'll ask for fifty-two (52) reviews. I don't think it's too much considering how many reviews I you gave me in the last chapter.**

**Alright, time for your review replies:**

**_Samtastic_- No, the woman wasn't her descendant. She was just a researcher. My idea was for Violet to have a miscarriage, but I wasn't sure if I should put that in. When Andy was talking about her descendants, I decided to put it in. She didn't have proper treatment, so the baby didn't live. Well, no, the woman was more curious than anything else. I guess I didn't make that very clear.**

**_Andy Nonomous_- No, the baby died because Violet's body couldn't support it anymore, and she'd given birth too early. The baby didn't survive. And no, it won't be revived or anything, it's dead. And I never said anything about having her grandkids coming back from the future to save her, I only said that your idea pushed me to put my idea in.**

**_Katie_- No, it's alright. :) People have questions, so it's fine. Besides, he wasn't the only one confused about the whole miscarriage scene. And thank you, I just might do that. ;P**

**_mrgirmjaw_- XD Now _that_ was funny!**

**_Dusiza Faaknaam_- Because she thinks Violet slept with someone, and she doesn't know about the rape, remember? She also had no clue Violet was pregnant (heck, Violet herself had no clue). Don't worry, I have this story all planned out, aside from a few scenes near the end, of which I'm still trying to decide which ideas to use, and which ideas to dump. Just wait, you'll see how this turns out. It'll be pretty interesting (from my perspective anyway).**

**_PlasticPencils_- Wow, someone's really getting into this story. :P**

**_Hazel Blue Mystery_- Don't worry, I've got this planned out. Except for a few scenes near the end.**

**_HandmadeVeggies_- Thanks, I worked FOREVER on that trailer! I've actually finished up another one and I'm also currently working on _another_ one, so updates will be a little slower than normal.**

**_Supreme23614_- Thank you, and actually busylizzie is really starting to annoy me. :/ I mean, who keeps reading a story they don't like? And thanks again, that comment is much appreciated. :)**

**_a person_- I KNEW IT! :D And I spell your name with a "K" anyway. Besides, it's cuter and it doesn't take up as much space when I'm texting you. Also, are really _that_ lazy that you won't log in?**

**_Animalistic Ballistic_- Muahahaha! Gotta love those darn cliffies. ;D**

**_busylizzie_- You obviously don't like my story, so please stop reading it. You're really starting to bug me and if don't stop insulting this story I will remove each and every review you post. And don't say it's not an insult, because calling my story a dirty brick in the wall of messed up Disney movies is very much an insult. And while America is a free country, some things are left better unsaid. So I will ask you one more time to stop reading this story and ultimately to stop reviewing this story. Oh, and about the depressed part? It's apparent that you haven't lived the rough past I did. I went through horrible emotional trauma and now I channel my pain into my stories, so until you've been traumatized for life, I suggest you try to think about what others have been through, and even if we ARE depressed, did you ever stop to consider that there's a REASON? And if you must know, my past was so terrible that I've done horrible things to myself, and I won't say what but you need to be more considerate of other people.**

**_NoahsAnarchy_- Thank you. :) And if you've read my reply to busylizzie, I'm not lying when I say that my past has made me...different. I don't hold back when writing anymore, and I've discovered that it makes my stories interesting and apparently appeals to a wide crowd of people. The secret to feeling Violet's pain is simply channeling your own pain through the main character, which in this case is Violet. And I'm sorry that' bugging you. The reason they all "test" on her without feeling is because they're researchers, and therefore they're serious and not all that compassionate. And I know you aren't insulting the story. In fact, I thank you for your critique. :) It lets me know how you're feeling about the story.**

**_spellzit_- Wow, looks like you've been binge-reading in one night. You also seem to be pretty worked up about this, but I've got this story planned out.**


	5. Chapter 5

~Chapter 5~

It took not hours, but _days_ for Dash's death to sink in. I hadn't talked at all since then. I would curl up often and they hated that. I refused to put up a force field. They'd shot multiple warning shots at me, a little something to scare me into submission. They would soon figure out that I wasn't bending to anyone's will. There was a rough part on one of the metal links on the chain that connected to my ankle. I used that rough spot to file down the sides of my nails until they were sharp points. I was given a meal one time, and it had a chicken leg. I broke the bone of that leg in half, and hid one of the two halves in my pants, where the elastic waistband held it firm so it wouldn't slip out. Why hide a bone? I had good reason. I used that bone to file my teeth. My canines were first, and I was still working on them. My intention was to make all my teeth sharp. They would look the same, I wouldn't grind them into points, but my front teeth would be sharpened from the back, until they were much like a mouse's teeth. Sharp and able to bite through just about anything. My molars would come last. I planned on making them just as sharp by scraping the bone against the indents on the top of my molars until the ridges that surrounded those indents were sharp. But for now, I had to finish up my canines. Because after all, they wanted a girl who could defend herself didn't they?

Well they would get one.

I knew I would die trying to get out of this place, but it would be so worth it. The reason I was turning myself into a living weapon? I intended to attack, annihilate if I had to, anyone and everyone who dared to come close to me. I wanted them to see that I wasn't going to sit down and take any more of this. I had nothing left to lose, and there fore I had no reason to hold back. And the best part...all those "testing" methods had built up reflexes, forced me to learn new skills, and allowed me to hone strength, stamina, and agility. As soon as I was done with my teeth, godspeed to any who came within my reach.

It killed me that for now, I could only defy them and nothing more. I just kept telling myself to be patient, to wait and catch them by surprise. I wanted to prove to them that I meant business this time. They sure could dish it out...but could they take it? They were cowards, always hiding behind a window beyond my reach. They never seemed to shoot missiles at themselves. _I_ was the one with power. They would soon figure that out.

I continued to work on my canine teeth, checking them every now and then with my finger, feeling them to see if they were sharp enough yet. They weren't and I knew this would take some time before I was able to move on to my front teeth. I remembered studying about the three different sets of teeth and their functions. Canine teeth were meant to help tear off meat when you ate. Front teeth, or incisors, were meant to make a clean cut through plants, although it helped with meat as well. Back teeth, or molars, were meant to crush and grind the food into a soft mass before you swallowed. Incisors, cutting. Canines, tearing. Molars, crushing.

I also remembered fingernails. They were made up of keratin, which allowed them to be sturdy but flexible. Keratin was also soft, so filing it down wasn't very hard. But what I loved most about it is that it could hold a shape. The points at the ends of my nails wouldn't collapse, bend, or break from lack of support. Keratin, strong and flexible.

I busily pushed the broken bone in and out of my mouth, making sure to grind it along the backs of my canine teeth as I did. Over the course of several days, they had become much sharper. In fact, if I bit myself right now, it would be very painful. But I didn't just want it to bring pain, I wanted to be able to break skin, leave scars even. I wanted to leave a little reminder to them of who I was and what they had done to me.

But for now...I waited.

* * *

The day finally came when I was just finishing up my molars. I continued to care for my nails, being as they still grew out. I had to keep biting them and re-filing them. They stayed sharp and pointy, just the way I wanted. Strangely no one had noticed my nails, or the way I winced when I ate. The enamel on my teeth had been worn down, so it hurt to bite into anything. I would have to wait another few weeks to get over that. The good news was, my canines had completely healed, so they no longer hurt. My front teeth were almost there, but they still felt funny whenever they touched something. My molars, on the other hand, weren't doing so well. I had to keep scraping the chicken bone against them and it caused severe tenderness. Simply running my tongue over them hurt. I would just have to muscle through it and keep it up. I was almost done, it would be all over by the end of the day. My teeth were very sharp. I had bitten my arm just to test them out, and now I had curved scabs where my teeth had been. Perfect.

It had to have taken another several months to wear down my enamel and the bone that rested under it, but soon, very soon, it would all pay off.

I stood up to stretch. A lead ball conveniently missed me, hitting the wall and landing right beside me. If they killed me, so be it. They should know by now that I couldn't possibly care less. My life had become completely unimportant to me. I wasn't leaving anything behind, considering my parents were used to not having me around anymore. Dash was dead, as much I hated to think about it. I had nothing to look forward to and nothing to look back on. The only thing I had was a truckload of regrets. Needless to say, I wouldn't be missing those too much.

The warning shot didn't warn me. I ignored it and continued to stretch. I'd been curled up for hours now, so it felt good to move again. I could feel my body thanking me.

Daggers were sent out, and struck me before I even realized it. I didn't even grunt, having already expected something like this. I only moved my arms to my sides to begin picking them out. It hurt like crazy, but it would be over soon enough.

They had used simulations for a long time now. All those months I'd spent wearing down my teeth and filing down my nails, they'd spent trying to get me to cooperate. I had decided to go back on my resolve to catch them by surprise and attacked the holograms. They felt real, so it was just like going after a real person. I'd gone from Violet to violent. And violent was the way I intended it to be this whole time. I figured they would figure out that I wasn't, under any circumstances, going to help them. Apparently they managed to prove me wrong again.

I stuck one finger in my mouth and felt my molars. They were sharp. So sharp, in fact, that I didn't need to sharpen them anymore. I was done. Now, all I had to do was wait just a little longer, just a few more weeks, and I could show them what I could _really_ do. If they thought defiance was bad, they were going to hate this.

I would save my energy for now. Just until I could bite into something without my teeth hurting me.

* * *

I refused to put up a force field for weeks on end, which meant I was constantly stuck with daggers, lead balls flying at me, electrocution, dodging machine gun bullets, enduring gravitational fluctuations, and running from flamethrowers. It was hard work, far beyond exhausting, but it had to be done.

They had all but stopped feeding me. It was punishment, no doubt, for not obeying them. They were trying to break me, and they were getting frustrated with me for not doing what they wanted. They said this would save lives, but how? All they ever did was put me through pure carnage. They didn't even bother to clean up the blood that they spilled. It was all over the place; somehow a little bit of it managed to get to the other side of the room and speck the wall. I didn't see how that was possible but knowing them and their twisted minds, anything was possible.

I was skinny, and oftentimes lethargic. It was all I could do to work through it, hoping they would end my life once and for all. Death was a blessing compared to this. Blood everywhere, scars all over my body, scabs and new cuts every day, bruises in places no bruise should ever be... I was more than willing to welcome death to come and get me. I didn't care if I died the most painful way possible, I just wanted out. I just wanted to escape the chains and the starvation, the constant bloodshed and the simulations. I didn't know what was reality and what was a trick anymore, I had no way of telling the difference. Sometimes I wondered if there even _was_ a difference. What was real? What was fake? I was caught in the fine line that divided the two.

I was always confused. I could never think straight anymore. Maybe I'd lost my sanity, maybe I had gone nuts under the pressure of everything I'd been put through. And I was always wondering why they didn't just finish me off. Maybe it was because they knew that I was still tormented by the simulations. I had no hope of true rescue. I had to count on death for that. I was tired of thinking my family had rescued me, only to be pulled back to what I thought to be reality. Maybe they'd drugged me. Maybe this was all one big, elaborate plan to continue the torture. I was tired of being hurt. Physical pain was one thing, but they always messed with my emotions. I'd overheard one of their conversations. I'd discovered that I had been in this hell chamber for two years... That was plenty of time for my family to come along, find me, and at least _try_ to save me. But they never came. Only the holograms came, only the simulations came. The only thing I knew was real is that these monsters had shot and killed Dash, my little brother whom I'd worked to protect. I'd wanted him to stay hidden, and whether he'd listened or tried to find me, I would never know...because he was no longer here to tell me.

Another wicked simulation popped up. Time to fight my way out of it again.

**A/N**

**Before you start jumping to conclusions, everything in the next few chapters is actually a simulation. I just wanted to say that because I don't want to confuse you. :P Besides, I've left you with another cliffhanger. It's the least I can do. But don't start asking what the simulation is or what it will be about, 'cause I ain't tellin'.**

**I still can't believe how many reviews I've gotten. It's like EVERY time I ask for a certain amount of reviews, I get more. :'D Thank you so much!**

**I guess I'll ask for (and I'm pushing my luck with this one) sixty-five (65) reviews.**

**Anyway, you all should know the drill by now. May I present...your review replies:**

**_Samtastic_- I can't give you any spoilers, that would completely ruin the story (plus I'm still trying to weed out ideas for the ending). But I think you'll like the ending (I've generalized it, just not quite figured out the deeper details yet). :) And it's supposed to be intense. Sorry it's too dark for you though.**

**_busylizzie_- I'm done with you, you aren't worth my time.**

**_mrgirmjaw_- Thanks, you're welcome, and I will. :P**

**_Katie_- Thank you. It's supposed to be a sad story. After all, I did post the genre as Hurt/Comfort, and there will be comfort later in the story. Just wait, you'll see. And I'm pretty sure everyone will like the ending, including you. And I'll be ignoring busylizzie from now on, I won't let her drag me down. After all they _do_ say, "Never argue with an idiot. They will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience." Words to the wise. First off, I'm straight, I'm into guys. And people treat me a little...differently. Wow, I can't believe I've met a psychic! XD I was actually planning to write a chapter or two in Dash's POV. Darn it, you, stop predicting the story. XD**

**_PlasticPencils_- Okay, can we NOT talk about this on fanfiction? There's a reason why only three people know about that! :( And Kris only knows half of it... But yeah, I write out my pain, I guess you're right about that... *sigh* But it's gotta be better than...well, you already know.**

**_Animalistic Ballistic_- Okay, can we please not listen to PlasticPencils anymore?**

**_Hazel Blue Mystery_- lol :) Thank you, I guess**

**_a person_- Okay, is EVERYONE in cahoots with PlasticPencils today? I know what I went through, okay? There's no reason to worry, I'M FINE. Yes, okay? I admit it, I'm still hurting, but that's never going to go away! But I'm writing now, at least I've got some kind of outlet. Now let's ALL please stop talking about this...**

**_Supreme23614_- I'm not going to take this story down... :/ Who told you that?**

**_HandmadeVeggies_- Don't worry, it's supposed to get people worked up. **

**_spellzit_- Yeah, I felt bad for him even while I was writing it out.**

**And a warning to everyone: my past isn't something I can get over so easily! You know who you are...**


	6. Chapter 6

~Chapter 6~

This simulation wasn't any different from the others. I didn't know why they bothered to try anymore. It wasn't working, they knew that. It only caused me more emotional turmoil. But then again...that could be their plan. Maybe they were "testing" to see if my emotions had anything to do with my powers.

Several men came into the room. Each of them was a hologram, a part of the simulation. They all wore black tuxedos, as if they were dressed for some serious business. Then again, I was considered serious business, which was why they kept me chained up at all times. So that could only mean they were coming for me. I bet they were going to do some more "testing". They were here to "set me free" and "bring me back to my family". Let them come near me, let them see what happened. I would just do the same thing I did to all the other holograms slash simulations. This one would no doubt transform from five holograms to entirely different world. A world that I'd once known...a world that I could barely even remember. After two and a half years of being held captive and treated like an untamed beast, I couldn't really remember what freedom tasted like, or what the wind felt like. I couldn't even remember all the colors anymore! I was so used to seeing blood, metal chains, shackles, white walls, and the people behind the plexiglass that I could hardly remember anything outside of this horrid room. Even through the simulations, I still couldn't remember what _real_ grass felt like, and what _real_ trees sounded like when they rustled in the wind.

Or maybe they were real people, and not holograms at all. Maybe they were here to prepare me for my funeral. That is, if they even had the heart to put together a funeral...

I backed up against the wall, leading them straight to me, to get closer, to get within my reach. I could go all the way to the center of the room. I needed them as close to me as possible so I would have plenty of room to move around. I would _not_ put up a force field. I wouldn't give those heartless creatures what they wanted.

And finally...proof that it was nothing more than another simulation. My shackles came off with the push of a button. They would never purposefully release me. They had blown their own cover, and in doing so, had proven to me that it was all another lie, another trick to induce psychological distress. Apparently they hadn't realized this, because I still hadn't been pulled back to reality.

They finally got close enough, but I wanted them closer. I could run right now if I really wanted to. But I wouldn't run away. No, I would continue to give the researchers reason to kill me. I would never escape this nightmare, I knew that by now. I _wanted_ to die. I would resist the simulation as much as I possibly could, until they finally gave up and pulled me back to hell.

One of them stopped and pulled out a camera. He took off his black glasses and peered into the little window. A bright light flashed and a split second later, the shutter was heard. He'd taken a picture of the room. Well, half of it. The room was too big to fit inside the camera's range. He continued taking pictures of the room, and finally took a few pictures of me.

The rest of them kept moving toward me, slowly, cautiously. More evidence of a simulation.

I started breathing heavily. My muscles tensed as they drew nearer. I felt a surge of anger. Adrenaline filled my body. I felt my teeth clench and my hands roll up into fists. I'd waited long enough.

I ran after the nearest person and jumped onto him, using my "refurbished" nails and teeth to leave both minor and severe cuts on him. The other four men, including the camera guy, rushed to his aid and tried to pull me off. I clung to him tightly, using my teeth to bite his fingers. If I was coming off, I would take his fingers with me. He screeched in pain and the others tried even harder to free him. Four men pulling on me made my teeth ache as the pressure on them only grew. So I released the one man and turned around to assault another person, one of the four men who were trying to help their friend. The first man I'd gone after was clutching his hand, blood dripping from it. Apparently I'd bitten him so hard my teeth had gone deeper than expected. What a nice surprise for me.

Now, back to this guy... I dug my nails into him as far as they would go and he too screeched in pain.

"Do it! Do it now!" he screamed.

Before I could figure out what he was talking about, someone stuck a needle in my neck. It took only seconds for me to calm down. The adrenaline that had fueled me began to disappear and I started to feel woozy. My arms and legs collapsed, somehow unable to support the rest of my body. I felt everything else go numb and limp as one of the men, one of the three who I hadn't attacked, lifted me bridal style, off his friend. I heard someone else sigh and say, "Poor thing..."

It took only a few more seconds for my head to drop and my eyes to close. Another knockout drug. I couldn't stay awake any longer. I drifted off into a dreamless, yet somehow peaceful, slumber.

* * *

I woke up and yawned. My whole body was begging me to keep laying down and try to go back to sleep. I never realized how tired I was until now. All that running and dodging and getting hit with daggers really took a toll on me. With heavy eyes and a groggy brain, I forced myself to sit up and look around. It felt like the room was moving. And was it just me, or was this room smaller? I bet it was another "test". I had no idea what they had in store for me. I only knew that it couldn't be good. It wasn't exactly like they were going to hand me a basket of roses. Well, unless those roses were toxic or explosive or something like that.

A bump jolted me to full awareness. I stood up and looked around, searching for an exit. I couldn't find one. It was too dark, pitch-black. I tried to feel around, using my sense of touch to identify where I was at, but the room suddenly began to shake violently and I was knocked off my feet. The room threw me around. Yet somehow...I managed to _sleep_ through this? Well, it _was_ a knockout drug. It kind of made sense how I slept through all this.

The room stopped shaking after a few minutes, although there was a bump every now and then. I could only wait until the lights came on. Confusion took over, as it always did, and I couldn't stop wondering where I was or why I was here. This was obviously a smaller room than the one I'd spent two years in. I just couldn't figure out why...

The room stopped moving all of a sudden, and I was thrown against one of the walls. What kind of test was this? I couldn't think of any reason how this would relate to my powers. Balance normally wasn't a problem for me, but then again, my room never shook around like this. The floor here had been shifty and uneven. Now it was smooth and calm. I could walk around without worrying about toppling over.

I heard muffled voices. But where was the window? Or maybe they had a camera somewhere. I felt my nails. None of them had been broken, which meant I didn't have to worry about growing them out and resharpening them. None of my nails had been worn down from my little "encounter" with what I assumed to be government agents. Of course! Those voices outside must be those very same people. I narrowed my eyes as I remembered them sticking a needle in my neck. And then another saying, "Poor thing..." Sarcasm, oh how absolutely wonderful.

I sighed. There was nothing I could do since I couldn't see, and therefore couldn't find the door. Or any other exit for that matter. And even if I _did_ find something, how could I open it? I didn't know what to make of any of this. I couldn't tell if it was real or not. I could assume that this little room was yet another "test", or that it was just a trick. After all, they could twist my mind any way they wanted. And it was thanks to them that I was always confused about what was going on and never sure about anything. Every time I thought something was real, it wasn't. Every time I thought something was fake it wasn't. But sometimes I got reality or fake correct, so sometimes I was right, and sometimes I wasn't. Agh...I didn't know anymore!

But there was _one_ thing I was always sure of. These people, real or not, were government agents. They were the researchers underlings, to my best assumption. Whatever they were going to do to me, I could take it. And now I could give it back. So bring it. Let them "bestow" their best shot at me, let them do it! I didn't care if I died, but I at least wanted to live out my last wish of causing as much pain and destruction as I could possibly unleash. I would make it so horrible for them that they would forever hate my guts. I would leave scars on their bodies so they would never forget me, and perhaps someday come to regret it. I would leave bloody images burned into their minds, so they would never again be able to fully enjoy destroying another victim.

A click brought me from my thoughts and back to...well...what _might_ be reality. I still wasn't sure. I knew one of them was being sarcastic when he called me a "poor thing". I was called a thing, not a human being who once had aspirations, feelings, dreams of one day getting married and settling down to raise a family with the man of my dreams. And frankly, what girl _doesn't_ dream of that? I wanted to make a difference in the world. I wanted to become a superhero and save hundreds of thousands of lives. Maybe even help save the world someday! But every last one of those had been taken away from me. I was nothing now, only a hollow, empty shell of what I once was.

Another click was heard. It wasn't like me to zone off so often... It was probably the knockout drug, maybe the effects still hadn't fully worn off yet. I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and focus more on trying to kill the people who constantly tortured me. They would die sooner or later, and I wanted at least one of them to die by my hands, at my mercy, just like I was always at theirs. I wanted to take something away from them. I wouldn't gain anything but the sweet feeling of revenge. No, I needed to kill two of them. One for what they did to me, and one to avenge Dash. Maybe I would even manage a smile after that.

The sound of metal clashing against metal rang throughout the little room. Even with the effects of the drug, this was unusual. Well, unless they used a very powerful drug. Maybe I had been transported somewhere, and to keep me from going nuts in this hellhole, they injected some kind of frighteningly powerful drug into me. Come to think of it, my neck still hurt a little bit from the injection. Must've been one thick needle...

I rubbed the spot where the needle had penetrated my neck. The spot was slightly swollen.

I tried to ignore it and moved over to what I assumed to be the door of the room. It was still pitch black, but I could still hear. I merely followed the sound of the voices. It sounded like those men outside were having an intense argument. I couldn't make out the words, they were too muffled by the door to comprehend. I positioned myself to jump out the moment they opened that door. And I didn't feel chains on me. There was nothing to hold me back this time. I could finally go all out. I could finally take them on a trip they did _not_ want to go on. Hopefully...a trip to their demise.

At long last, the door flew open. I didn't hesitate to lunge at the first person I saw. He was one of the three men I hadn't attacked. Well he would be joining the other two starting right now. The argument must've been about who had to open the door.

As I tried everything I could to make him pay, including strangulation, I heard him yell out, "We're not here to hurt you!"

I had a very tight grip on him, but he was skinny. He managed to slip loose. Before I could chase him down, another agent hurled himself on top of me. The two agents I'd attacked at the facility made the mistake of trying to help their buddy. I immediately turn around, ignoring the idiot who tried to stop me from suffocating the first guy, and clawed at one of the men's eyes. Apparently I hit them right on the mark, because I heard him scream out. One down, four to go.

Three of them tried to grab my arms and legs in a futile effort to get me into a position where I couldn't fight or struggle. I was very precarious about that and made sure they couldn't get me. One of them had grabbed onto one of my legs and was trying to pull me off, but I refused to let go. He would be my next target if he kept that up. I used my free leg to kick at him. It was hard, but eventually, even while holding onto my current victim, I managed to hit that one spot on him that made him crumple in on himself and drop to the ground. My legs had a ton of strength thanks to the researchers' "tests". I'd been running from all their torture machines for two years and counting, and all that running built up some pretty strong muscles. Enough to take on a trained government agent.

Two down, three to go.

I realized that I didn't have to hold back my voice anymore. There was nothing anyone could do. I wouldn't make words, but hopefully screaming my lungs out would get the message across.

Seeing how fiercely I was fighting them off, and seeing how his pals were dropping one by one like dying flies, the man who had escaped my grasp quickly called for backup.

Two men, not including the one that was still on the ground, pulled on my shoulders. I'd stuck to this one guy for too long, and I'd probably blinded him for life. I decided to turn on one of the men who was on top of me. It only took one swift movement to use his weight against him, forcing him to the ground. This time I was the top dog. No one could stop me. No one would _ever_ handle me again! I had the strength to match them on my own, but I also had something they didn't...adrenaline. My strength had to have been increased tenfold, because they were quickly figuring out that they couldn't beat me on their own.

A/N

Yeah...not the best place to end a chapter at, I know, but I didn't want this chapter to be too long. Anyway, just so you won't get confused this IS a simulation, it's not real. I'm putting it in there to show you how the "free" simulations work. And this will last awhile, so bear with me. Besides, I'll make it interesting.


	7. Chapter 7

~Chapter 8~

**(Dash's POV)**

I quietly got out of the car, alongside Mom, and headed for the house. My backpack hung from my shoulders, filled with textbooks, study guides, and homework. I suppose it could've been worse. But nothing ever got worse. Things seemed to have already hit rock-bottom. I never thought I could be such a quiet, weary person in such a lonely, stone-cold world.

"Is she coming back today?" I asked, rhetorically. We all knew the answer.

Mom sighed heavily and unlocked the door. I didn't know why I even bothered asking...

I was stupid to have left her. She needed me...she _needed_ me. And what did I do? I ran. I ran away like a coward. What brother couldn't protect his sister? I was supposed to help her, look out for her, and intimidate her boyfriends! And now I couldn't do any of that...because she was gone. Gone for good. I used to annoy her about Tony, about those girly magazines she would read, and sometimes even about being on the phone with her friends too long. I would give anything to have that back. I missed her more than I thought possible. She had been gone for two and a half years. We'd tried looking for her, we searched really hard. But she wasn't coming back. Ever.

I remember the day we were ambushed, the day she was taken. Nothing could describe how scared I was for her when I saw her force field evaporate into thin air. I could've sworn my heart skipped a beat when I saw her fall down, unconscious. I wanted to stay by her side and make sure she would be okay, but she had only given me one command: run. I realized that I could help her if I got Mom and Dad. But by the time we got back, she was gone. There hadn't been a trace of her ever since.

And thanks to me, there would never be a trace. We would never figure out where she was, and all because I got scared and ran away like some kind of wimpy little caterpillar. I kept reassuring myself that the government was the good side. My sister was as strong as her thickest, strongest force field, so at least it couldn't be that bad. The only real thing that bothered me was that...she wasn't here...

And every single day that went by without Violet, I felt worse and worse. I missed her...so much. I didn't know what I had, and now it was gone forever. We actually kept a calendar, marking a red "X" for each day she didn't show up. For the first several weeks, I'd asked with all seriousness if my parents had seen her. Every day it was the same answer. No. I still asked the same question each day, but I never expected an answer. It had become a rhetorical question. I knew the answer, Mom knew the answer, Dad knew the answer... And Violet...I didn't know what happened to her. What if something bad happened? I'd asked myself that question so many times now...

Edna was also on the lookout for her. Luscious was also keeping an eye out for her. Having lost Syndrome, Mirage turned to the side of justice and agreed to help in any way she could with our search for my sister.

I sighed. The sister I failed to protect... The one who took a piece out of me when she vanished... I was always so depressed and so sad without her. I'd grown up with her, I'd been with her all my life. I wasn't complete without her, without knowing she was okay. I refused to compete in school sports teams anymore. I just...wasn't up for it. I wasn't the goofy little kid I used to be. No, now I was the quiet, distracted kid. Sometimes people asked me what was wrong, but I lied and told them it was nothing. If Violet was still out there somewhere, then I didn't want to blow her cover.

I wasn't the only one who had lost all my enthusiasm. Mom was always sighing and looking down, always so forgetful. Dad was always deep in thought. He would still eat everything that was on his plate, but he would never go for seconds, and he would walk away from dessert. Even little Jack-Jack, who was now three years old, had seemed to be saddened by the loss of his big sister. I didn't blame any of them.

I walked inside. Mom walked to her room, catching glance of our most recent family photo. The one that included Violet. We hadn't taken any more family photos since she was taken because our family was incomplete without her. She was smiling in that picture. It was slight, but she was definitely smiling. It was funny how all the little things she used to do to bug me had become my most precious memories.


End file.
